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SUBJECT: Error in the church
QUESTIONS: Why would God allow a church or individual to
believe a false doctrine? One example would be the idea the
church once held on Church Eras. Why would God allow such
error?
ANSWER:
There are a number of elements you might consider when you
ask, "Why would God allow a church or individual to believe
a false doctrine".
1) Churches like individuals in that church are human and
far from perfect. The Bible does not say that a church or
individual will have perfect knowledge or all knowledge the
first day, first year or even in this lifetime. Salvation
and coming to be perfect and have perfect knowledge is a
PROCESS. God works with the church and with the individuals
within that process.
2) Look at the letters of Paul. Were those churches
perfect? Did they have all truth? Were there any false
doctrines in those churches that Christ and later the
apostles established? Clearly there were. The Word of God
is perfect but the church is a physical growing organism.
Growth is a Process.
3) This particular doctrine was not one that impacted on
one's individual salvation. That is, this specific
"doctrine" was one that attempted to clarify prophecy and
church history. It was not important to our personal
salvation. Holding this "doctrine" would not keep us from
salvation. It was not a "false doctrine" where "false"
meant or referred to apostasy. The definition of apostasy
is when the church leaders knowingly and with evil intent
teach something they know to be wrong, evil or in error.
The eras "doctrine" or teaching was sincerely taught as
being right, that is, those that taught it believed it to be
true and sound. There was no evil intent.
4) More importantly, the church, within the bounds of the
growth process, found the error and corrected it. The
doctrine is not taught in most of the churches that make up
the Body of Christ. If fact, the church used to put out a
reprint article, "7 Proofs of God's Church". One of the
proofs listed was the fact that the church corrects error.
These elements should give you a beginning of things to
consider.
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